All is Well!

Dear Friends,

So sorry to keep you waiting for the news about the surgery. It went well; no complications!! He came out of anesthesia without any trouble; has had some pain, but is getting medicated for that. He has a large incision on the neck- around 10 stitches. Last night he had a drain in the surgical site and IV, but this morning they removed the drain. The reason I didn't get this email off sooner is that I stayed the night with him in the hospital. He was anxious and did not want me to leave his side for more than a few minutes. He also needed help during the night with the urinal and positioning. Socialized medicine is cost effective, but the down side is that there is not enough staff to really care for the patients. The nurses rely on family members for patient care. It is even the responsibility of the patient to notify the nurse when the IV runs out. We are very grateful for the good care he has received and for all the prayers which have surely been heard and answered!!!

He will be transferred back to rehab tomorrow if all goes well today. Then he will continue his physical therapy as an inpatient until probably the middle of next week when he will be discharged. He will then do his PT on an outpatient basis.

I have had wonderful opportunities to share Christ with many in the hospital. This morning I was able to share with the wife of the patient in the room with Andy and give her a gospel of John. I was also able to share with the ambulance drivers that transferred Andy to the surgical unit and give them welcome packets from our church. Yesterday the man who brought Andy out of the OR on the stretcher, speaking about church, mentioned that he had not been since he was 9 yrs. old because God wouldn't want him. I was able to share with him in those brief minutes how Jesus was the One who came to seek the "lost sheep". Oh, how we pray that these little seeds will fall on fertile soil!!

Thanks so much for standing with us during this challenging time. I feel like we have gotten through the most critical period and can now just focus on rehab. It may be a long road, but we are learning to be patient and to "rest" in the Lord, knowing that "this" is our calling from Him right now. We so want to make the most of it, not just endure it, but accept it willingly as coming from our loving Father's hand.

Love,

Linda for both of us